"The drone strike targeted a vehicle carrying three militants in Om Shukah area in al-Jawf near the border of Saudi Arabia," Xinhua quoted the official as saying.

It was fifth such drone strike this month.

On Monday, another drone strike killed two suspected local Al Qaeda leaders in Yemen's central province of Marib. Last week, three separated drone strikes in Al Jawf, Marib and Shabwa killed at least six militants.

The US has escalated its drone strikes at suspected Al Qaeda targets in Yemen since February last year.